


Whoopsie-Doodle

by L3t_U5_D0_That_Aga1n



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Mash-up of canon, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-05-16 05:21:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14805153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/L3t_U5_D0_That_Aga1n/pseuds/L3t_U5_D0_That_Aga1n
Summary: Arceus has made a few mistakes. Some intentional, some not. Now it’s up to Ash to pick up the pieces. Scattered, unfamiliar pieces, but pieces all the same.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:  
Whoopsies  
Pokémon, and all related media, is the property of Nintendo  
"Talking"  
"Thoughts"  
" **DEITY (OLYMPUS MON) SPEECH** "  
**Line Break**

The first thought that came into Ash’s head was that it was too quiet. There was a distinct lack of Pokémon snores and the mechanical hum of Professor Kukui’s various machines. Then, Ash remembered that he offered to camp outside for the night so that Kukui and Professor Burnet could do some research without interruption—Poipole got bored whenever there was a long stretch of silence not involving sleep.

But that just raised a new set of questions, like what happened to his pillow?

Yawning, he rubbed his eye, blearily blinking away his morning tiredness.

A beam of yellow light flew above him, ending with an explosion to his right.

Ash yelped and rolled to his side. Rather, he would have, if there were any solid ground beneath and around him. Instead, he was left flailing wildly in what he could now see was an endless black void.

He shifted to his left, eyes widening at the sight of Palkia, the Master of Space itself, gathering an orb of blue energy in its arms.

Ash screamed, frantically moving his arms and legs in an attempt to move out of the way of what would no doubt be a powerful beam. Suddenly, he froze in place, and not a second later, felt something tug him away from Palkia.

He came to a stop far away from Palkia, and once more flailed in an attempt to right himself.

“ **MY APOLOGIES, I HAD NOT MEANT TO LEAVE YOU IN PALKIA’S WAY**.”

Ash drew in a breath, recognizing the powerful voice. He shifted around, gulping, “A-Arceus…”

The Creator Pokémon nodded, “ **GREETINGS. I WOULD SAY IT IS NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN, BUT IN LIGHT OF PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES** …” He trailed off as another explosion rocked the void they floated in.

Ash turned towards Palkia, covering his eyes as his next beam exploded against a white barrier in brilliant pink light.

“ **GRREAAAGH** ” a new voice roared.

Ash grunted, covering his ears to block out the horrible sound. As soon as he did so, however, the voice muted, as if he put on earmuffs. He removed his hands, tilting his head at the translucent orange barrier he was currently enveloped in.

“ **SO MY CHILDREN DO NOT RENDER YOU DEAF** ,” Arceus supplied.

The voice—heavily muffled—roared once again, and Ash followed the sound, not wholly surprised to find that Dialga was the source of it.

Ash frowned, “Wait, if Palkia and Dialga are here, does that mean that—”

“ **TO YOUR LEFT**.”

Ash turned so and recoiled at the sight of a pair of startling red lights rise up from the inky void. A pair of bat-like wings burst free and beat once. Globs of darkness shot forward, covering the otherwise pristine barrier.

Ash turned to Arceus, asking, “What the heck’s going on?!”

But Arceus did not answer, instead staring out at the Masters of Time, Space, and Distortion.

Ash cleared his throat, and Arceus jolted. “ **AH, MY APOLOGIES** ,” he turned to him, leaning down slightly, “ **I WAS…OVERCOME BY A SUDDEN WAVE OF NOSTALGIA**.”

Ash grew silent at that, awkwardly scratching his neck.

Then, Arceus shook his head, “ **BUT I DID NOT BRING YOU HERE TO REMINISCE. I HAVE NEED OF YOU, ASH KETCHUM**.”

Ash chuckled nervously, turning back to the three god-like beings blasting the barrier with a variety of attacks, “I can’t really see how.”

Arceus sighed, “ **MAKE NO MISTAKE, THOUGH VALIENT, THEIR EFFORTS WILL AMOUNT TO NOTHING OVERALL**.”

The blunt statement floored Ash, but before he could reply, Arceus asked, “ **TELL ME, DO YOU REMEMBER CYRUS**?”

Ash scowled at the reminder of the leader of Team Galactic, then gasped as he remembered the man’s final act, “You mean he’s causing all this? I though he, uh, well…died.”

“ **OH, REST ASSURED, HE DIED WITHIN MOMENTS OF JUMPING IN THE PORTAL, TORN TO SHREDS AS REALITY RECTIFIED THE ABERRATION OF HIS PRESENCE WITHIN THE VOID OF CREATION**.”

“O-oh…”

“ **HOWEVER, FOR ALL THE MAN’S FAULTS, HE HAD A REMARKABLY STRONG WILL, AND LEFT AN…IMPRINT ON REALITY**.”

Ash gulped, “So that imprint is causing all this?”

Arceus tilted his head, “ **YES AND NO. ONE IMPRINT ALONE COULD NOT DO SO MUCH DAMAGE, BUT AN INFINITE NUMBER OF IMPRINTS ACROSS AN INFINITE NUMBER OF TIMELINES, THAT CAN DO SOME MAJOR DAMAGE. TO SAY NOTHING OF OTHER DISASTERS WITH SPACE-TIME, AND MY OWN FOOLHARDINESS**.”

“What do you mean? How can you be part of the problem?”

Arceus hummed lowly, “… **YOU KNOW OF THE ‘FAIRY’ TYPE, YES**?”

Ash nodded.

“ **DID YOU EVER THINK IT STRANGE HOW A NEW TYPE OF POKÉMON, A TYPE WHICH APPLIES TO ALREADY KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED CREATURES, JUST APPEARED**?”

Ash shrugged, “I guess I never really gave it much thought…but even Mimey was shocked when he and Mom found out about his second typing.”

Arceus cleared his throat, “ **I HAD MEANT TO INTRODUCE FAIRIES TO THE MULTIVERSE AFTER REGAINING THE JEWEL OF LIFE FROM DAMOS. OBVIOUSLY, THAT DID NOT GO AS PLANNED. BUT AFTER MY…AWAKENING AND SUSEQUENT RECOVERY, I WENT ABOUT WITH MY ORIGINAL PLAN. I ACHIEVED THAT BY CHANGING THE TYPES OF THE THEN FAIRY-LESS POKEMON BACK INTO FAIRIES**.”

Ash frowned in concentration, “What does that mean?”

“ **I HAD ALREADY MADE THE FAIRY-TYPE POKÉMON BEFORE I MET DAMOS, BUT I GAVE HIM THE JEWEL OF LIFE INSTEAD BECAUSE I BELIEVED HE HAD GREATER NEED OF ITS POWER THAN I. AS A CONSEQUENCE, THOSE PROTO-FAIRIES HAD TO—HOW TO PUT THIS—ADAPT INTO DIFFERENT TYPES. THOSE LIKE SNUBBULL AND CLEFAIRY, ADAPTED TO BE NORMAL, AND THE FLABÉBÉ LINE WERE ALL GRASS-TYPE. I WON’T BORE YOU WITH THE QUANTUM MECHANICS INVOLVED IN CHANGING MULTIPLE SPECIES’ TYPING, BUT JUST KNOW THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF TINY LITTLE PARADOXES SCATTERED ACROSS REALITY THAT, UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, WOULD FIX THEMSELVES UP OVERTIME. BUT THEN HOOPA STIRRED UP TROUBLE AGAIN, AND THE INCURSION OF THE ULTRA BEASTS IN ALOLA CERTAINLY DID NOT HELP MATTERS**.”

Another explosion rocked the void, and after steadying himself, Ash asked, “Okay, fine, there’s a lot of issues. But can’t Dialga just go back in time and fix this, stop Cyrus and all those other problems before they become big issues?”

Arceus shook his head, “ **A SERIES OF OATHS WE—MYSELF, DIALGA, PALKIA, AND GIRATINA—SWORE BACK WHEN REALITY WAS NEWLY FORMED PREVENTS SUCH ACTIONS. OTHERWISE, I WOULD HAVE GONE BACK IN TIME TO KILL DAMOS WHEN I AWOKE FROM MY SLUMBER, OR DIALGA WOULD HAVE PERSONALLY GONE BACK IN TIME TO PREVENT THE INCIDENT IN ITS ENTIERTY, INSTEAD OF SENDING YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS**.”

Ash sighed, accepting the statements. He clenched his fist, narrowing his eyes up at Arceus, “What do you need me to do?”

Arceus hummed, turning around, “ **BEHOLD** ,” he intoned, and the inky void shimmered violently.

Ash stared in awe as the shimmer dissipated, revealing dozens of rainbow-colored orbs.

“Wh-what are they?”

“ **THIS IS THE NEXT MULTIVERSE, AN EXACT COPY OF YOUR, AND EVERY UNIVERSE THAT HAS SPAWNED SINCE THE DAWN OF CREATION**.” Arceus extended his left forelimb, and one of the orbs flew forward, stopping just in front of him, “ **AND THIS, IS YOUR UNIVERSE**.”

Ash stared at the orb, mouth running dry. He gulped, “It…looks kind of small.”

“ **WORRY NOT, ONCE PROPERLY INCUBATED, IT WILL EXPAND EXPONENTIALLY. BUT WE DO NOT HAVE TIME TO EXPLAIN THE INTRICACIES OF CREATION, YOU HAVE A MISSION**.”

Ash nodded determinedly.

Arceus pointed to Ash’s Universe, “ **I WILL SEND YOU—THAT IS TO SAY, YOUR CONCIOUSNESS—BACK TO WHEN WE FIRST MET, IN MICHINA**.” Ash opened his mouth, a question forming on his lips, which Arceus preempted, “ **THE REASON I HAVE CHOSEN YOU ABOVE ANY OTHER IS DUE TO TWO THINGS. YOU HAVE THE NECESSARY AURA TO SURVIVE SUCH A TRIP, AND YOUR PROXIMITY TO MY AWAKENING**.” Ash nodded, that made sense

“ **FROM THERE, YOU SHALL PRESENT THIS** ,” an orb of red light burst to life in front of Arceus, “ **TO ME**.” The ‘this’ in question looked like a miniature Jewel of Life, attached to thick black chain. Ash reached out to touch it, but flinched away, hissing lowly as he shook his hand, “Hot!” he yelped.

“ **AH, SUPPOSE I SHOULD HAVE WARNED YOU ABOUT THAT, IT WILL TAKE A BIT TO STABILIZE.** ”

Ash sucked on his burnt finger, glaring at the glowing object. “Hold on,” he said as he blew on his fingers, “If Cyrus—er, his will—is infinite, how will us,” he gulped,”…stopping…one of him keep this from happening again.” 

Arceus flicked his forelimb, sending Ash’s Universe back with the rest, “ **IT IS TRUE THAT YOUR ACTIONS WOULD NOT IMPACT THE OTHER UNIVERSES, THE OTHER CYRUS’. BUT, WITHIN YOUR UNIVERSE, STOPPING CYRUS WILL CREATE A RIPPLE THAT SHALL AFFECT ALL TIMELINES WITHIN YOUR UNIVERSE. WHEN WE SUCCEED, CYRUS’S IMPRINT ON REALITY WILL HAVE SEVERLY LESSONED, FAR BELOW ANYTHING AS GRAND AS THIS CURRENT PROBLEM, MUCH MORE MANAGEABLE. ANY MORE QUESTIONS?** ” Ash shook his head. “ **GOOD. NOW, WE WAIT FOR THE MULTIVERSE TO--**!”

An explosion, greater than the rest, rocked the void once more.

Ash’s was left jostling from the force of the explosions, and after righting himself, screaming in fright as a dark, silvery ooze latched onto the barrier. Yet, as soon as it appeared, it disappeared in a flash of orange light.

Dialga zoomed into view, coming to a stop just in front of Ash. The giant Pokémon spread his legs, ‘bracing’ and extending the fins on his back. He reared his head back, and roared, waves of silver energy expanding out from his maw, eradicating what was left of the ooze. Dialga then shifted his head, staring down at Ash.

“Uh, thanks, Dialga!” Ash replied.

The Master of Time nodded, before flying off back to another end of the void.

Ash turned back to Arceus, paling at the sight of a dozen shattered orbs, and a frantic Arceus darting between them all. “What happened?” he cried,

“ **I MISCALCULATED. BRINGING YOU HERE AND EXPLAINING THE SITUATION TO YOU SLOWED DOWN MY CREATION PROCESS TOO MUCH**.”

“Can you fix it, start over?”

“ **NO** ,” Ash’s blood froze in his veins, “ **IT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO RECREATE THEM…BUT PERHAPS I DO NOT HAVE TO** …”

Before Ash could say something, the wheel on Arceus’s eyes glowed violently, along with the wheel on his back. The wheel broke off from his back, spinning around his body, becoming a blur of white motion. Several of the orbs glowed white, started to break further, only not as violent as before, more like someone taking scissors to a sheet of paper. More and more ‘strips’ of universes were collected, and after dozens of strands were floating in the void, they all coalesced onto the broken remains of Ash’s Universe, as well as a few others, forming complete orbs once more—if significantly less.

Suddenly, Ash’s barrier disappeared, and he was pulled forward, coming to a stop near Arceus’s head.

The god spoke, “ **I HAVE MANAGED TO FIX THE PROBLEM, THOUGH THERE ARE A FEW COMPLICATIONS. ONE, I WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTORE THE UNIVERSE UP TO YOUR TRAVELS TO MICHINA TOWN. YOU WILL FIND YOUSELF SENT BACK SOME TIME BEFORE THEN—HOW FAR BACK, I CANNOT SAY. SECOND, THIS NEW UNIVERSE SHALL BE…DIFFERENT, THEN THE ONE YOU KNOW. THE EXACT DIFFERENCES ARE BEYOND MY VISION, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT NOTHING THAT SHOULD HINDER YOU. AND FINALLY** —” another explosion brutally shook the void, “ **NEVER MIND, YOU WILL FIND OUT SOON ENOUGH**.”

Ash whirled around, “Wait! How am I—”

“ **GOOD LUCK, ASH KETCHUM** ,” Arceus calmly, gently said, “ **AND KNOW THAT I HAVE FAITH THAT YOU SHALL SUCCEED**.” With that said, Arceus flicked his forelimb forward, sending Ash screaming into the new Universe.

The necklace quickly took his place. Arceus looked it over, grimacing, but ultimately deciding to send it through along with Ash, but not before forming a pink and green orb of energy.

After all, four items had safely entered the Universe, Arceus’s wheel spun once more, entrapping the new Universes in a white barrier.

After that, he sighed, his wheel coming to a stop, once more locking over his torso. Satisfied that he had done all that could be done, Arceus turned back into the void, more silver than black, and roared.

At once, Dialga, Palkia and Giratina appeared, all three panting heavily, with eyes shining with determination.

Arceus felt his heart quiver a beat, and he spent one long moment staring at his eldest children. He then bowed his head low, let out a deep breath, and rose once more, “ **YOU HAVE DONE WELL, MY CHILDREN. YOU MAY REST, NOW AND FOREVERMORE**.”

The three Dragons keened lowly, a weight seeming to fall of their shoulders. Then, they straightened as best their fatigued states could allow, and bowed towards their Creator. The three then started to glow, Blue, Pink, and Purple, and their bodies shimmered away, leaving only their gemstones as proof of their existence.

Arceus willed the gems closer to him, resting his forehead against them as the last vestiges of reality broke away.

Then, It arrived.

A massive wave of silvery ooze crashed down in front of him. It said no words, projected no thoughts, merely ate away at everything in its path.

As the Ooze inched closer and closer, Arceus lifted his head up, snarling at the end result of Cyrus’s madness. His wheel snapped off, sending out a burst of orange energy, vaporizing the ooze, forcing it back. His eyes shone with righteous fury, and the remains of his children whirled over his head, creating a rainbow-hued halo, an orb of white energy forming between them.

“ **THIS IS THE END, YOU FOUL ABOMINATION! YOUR JUDGMENT IS AT HAND!** ”

And for one, brief moment, all was light.

**Line Break**

The first thing Ash became aware of was the dryness of his throat. The second thing was a that he was tightly wrapped by something warm and soft.

He blinked tiredly, smacking his lips, “W-Wha…” he frowned, the ceiling looked very familiar.

“Mime? Mime, Mime, Mis-Mime!”

Ash sat up, rubbing his eyes, “Mimey?”

The psychic-type rushed forward, a wide smile on his face, “Mi-Mime!”

Ash smiled back, happy to see a familiar face—not to mention a solid piece of evidence that he hadn’t been sent back as a child or something.

Ash sucked in a breath, then bent over slightly, coughing, “Hey, Mimey, think you can—”

But the Mime Pokémon had already left the room, cries of ‘Mime, Mime’ echoing throughout the house.

Ash shook his head, laying back down, happy to be home.

Until a terrible thought sparked to life.

Ash bolted upright, “Pika-kof” he bent over coughing into his hand.

“Ash, sweetie?” a muffled, matronly voice said from further in the house.

Ash coughed a bit more violently, “M-mom?” he asked as the door opened.

But the woman that opened the door was not his mother. Instead, it was a woman with black hair done in twin pigtails falling on her back, a few wrinkles creasing her forehead. The woman smiled softly, holding out a glass of water, “Don’t worry honey, they’re on their way.”

Ash stared wide-eyed at the woman, sucking in a breath as his ears started to ring. The woman dropped the glass, rushing over and shouting something Ash couldn’t hear over the pain.

Images, sounds, emotions all mashed together inside his head, threatening to turn it into mush. But through it all, every image—every memory, he came to realize—of this woman ended with two, clear descriptions; Grandma, Celia.

But that made no sense, Ash thought as he groaned. His mom’s parents passed away when he was a baby.

The door slammed open once more, and Ash looked up, relieved to see the familiar face of his mother. But, as she rushed forward, another figure took her place in the doorframe. A man, taller than both his mother and his supposed grandma. He had brown hair, spiked in a familiar pattern, and dark, almost black eyes that shone with worry.

Once more, Ash was bombarded by memories that weren’t his, once again ending with two words; Father, Red.

It became too much, and he quickly passed out.

**A/N: I’ve recently come a realization that, while there are a few ‘Red is Ash’s father’ fics out there`, they mostly fall under the ‘Distant Father’ category. Thought I might play my hand at something a bit different. Be sure to leave a review. Later.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Whoopsies

**Pokémon, and all related media, is the property of Nintendo**

"Talking"

" _Thoughts"_

" **DEITY (OLYMPUS MON) SPEECH"**

**Line Break**

"Ok, now, just sit still."

Ash grunted, flinching lightly as the doctor shone a light in his eyes.

Delia sat to his right, soothingly rubbing his back.

The doctor hummed, "Well, his eyes are fine—no discoloration, proper dilation," he reached into coat pocket, "Now, I'm going to need you to stick out your tongue and say 'Ahh'." Ash complied.

The doctor pressed Ash's tongue down with a popsicle stick, shining the light down his throat, "…Throat's looking alright too." He removed his instruments, allowing Ash to close his mouth.

"However, just to be safe, I do need to draw some blood for testing," the doctor gazed questioning at Delia.

She sighed, nodding her consent, and from his seat, Red reached into her purse, pulling out the candy bar they'd brought along in case the doctor had to bring out a needle.

However, just as her husband grasped the candy, Ash stuck his arm out, rolling up his sleeve, "Ok," he stated.

Red dropped the bar on the floor, and Delia's eyes widened in disbelief. Ash  _hated_  shots—well, needles in general—ever since he was a baby.

The doctor smirked, tapping Ash' leg, "I admire the enthusiasm kiddo, but I don't have the proper tools on me. A nurse will come by in a few minutes." With that said, he left the room.

She shifted over, looking her son in the eyes, "Sweetie, you're okay with getting a shot?" Even if he'd been in a funk for the past few days (discounting the fact that he—along with Gary—had been found unconscious by the lake), Ash was deathly afraid of needles. Heck, last time she practically had to put him in a chokehold to keep him still.

Ash, whose attention was previously on his father, turned to face her. He nodded a confident frown on his face, "I'll be fine."

And just like that, it clicked, and a warm feeling spread through her heart. Her little boy was putting on a brave face for his daddy! Oh, if these were any other circumstances, she'd hug him close to her chest and coo over how brave and strong her little man was becoming!

But, these were not such times. Instead, she clasped his hand in her own, beaming warmly at him.

A nurse came in a few minutes later, with those special needles they use for drawing blood.

The nurse smiled sweetly at Ash, "Hey there kiddo, I'm going to need you to extend your arm for me." Ash did as requested.

As the nurse sterilized the injection site and tied a rubber band around his arm, she said, "Now, you might feel a little pinch when the needle goes in, but I promise that it'll only last a second."

Ash hummed lightly, flexing his fingers.

The nurse hummed a wordless tune as she checked her tools one last time. She then nodded, moving the needle to that it hovered just above Ash's vein. She lifted her eyes to meet his, "Are you ready?" He nodded, and she stuck the needle in.

Delia winced as the tool pierced her son's flesh, and brought her free hand up to Ash's back, softly whispering that her son was such a big, brave boy.

Within a minute, the nurse had drawn enough blood, taking the needle out and quickly putting a bandage in its place. She smiled, "There, was that so bad?"

Ash poked the bandage, shaking his head. "Nah," he replied.

The nurse chuckled, putting Ash's blood in a pouch, "The results should be in by the end of the week." she said to Delia.

As she cleaned up, the doctor entered the room once more. "Well, that should be all. I'll give you a call once the tests come back. Unless you have any more questions?"

Delia shifted her eyes to her husband, then to her son, then back to her husband. Red nodded, gesturing for Ash to come down.

Careful of his bandage, Ash did so, slipping on his shoes and heading for the door. Red smiled, ruffling Ash's hair. He grunted, pushing the hand off him, only to smile as Red held the candy in front of him. Muttering a quick 'thank you', Ash snatched the bar, quickly unwrapping it.

Smiling, the doctor turned to the nurse, "Nurse Jill, would you please escort Ash to the front room?"

Jill nodded, gesturing for Ash to follow, which he did after eyeing the nurse for a moment.

As the door closed behind the pair, Delia noticed a sharp change in Red's mood. He narrowed his eyes, stood straighter, set his face in a frown. Delia suppressed the urge to chuckle, always so serious, her husband.

"Doctor," Delia began, entering a more serious mood herself, "What do you think, will Ash be okay?"

The doctor spread his hands out, "Well, the blood test will tell us definitively, but from what I can tell it's Pokérus."

Red raised his hand to his throat, rubbing it. Delia, for her part, blinked twice, "Pokérus? Samuel found him and Gary by the stream, both of them unconscious! Pokérus-"

"Delia," Red gently interrupted, "Pokérus has a wide variety of symptoms. From something as simple as a runny nose to as dire internal bleeding."

"Thankfully it hasn't come to anything that extreme," the doctor said, "Though the fact that two boys experienced the same symptoms is odd—I believe the Oaks are scheduled for the afternoon." He shook his head, "Regardless, there's been a strain floating around Western Kanto for the past few weeks. Nothing major though; assuming the blood tests come back negative—which I'm fairly positive they will—Ash should be fine in a week."

Delia sighed, relieved at the doctor's words.

"Doctor," Red began, "Ash…are his nerves alright?"

Delia and the doctor both turned to face Red. At their questioning stares, he elaborated, "When the needle entered his vein, he didn't move—not even a flinch."

Delia sucked in a breath, she didn't even think about that, and she held his hand!

The doctor frowned, "I don't believe so—he passed the reflex tests and he didn't report any numbness. Maybe your boy is tougher than he looks." He then shrugged, "Give it a few days. If his nerves are dulled, you should notice bruises or injuries on his body that he doesn't react too; if that happens, there are tests we can perform to determine the extent of the damage."

Delia and Red nodded at that, and after thanking the doctor for his time, left to join their son.

**Line Break**

Delia hummed lightly as she looked sifted through their movies.

"Anything good?"

She smiled, "I'm looking for Ash's favorite movie; 'Striaton James and the Gem Fossil'." Her smile widened at her husband's soft groan. "Aw, it's a good movie!"

"It's tripe!" he said as he sat down, "Completely stomps both the original movies and logic itself!"

Delia snorted, popping the movie into the player, "It's well-grounded in its established reality."

Red furrowed his brows as Delia sat next to him, "…Clefairy can't learn 'Earthquake'."

Delia sighed, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder, "'Mimic', dear."

"The last move shown on screen was 'Earth Power', not 'Earthquake'!"

Delia reached up, giving Red a quick peck on the cheek, "Of course dear."

Red grumbled under his breath but stayed quiet.

After a couple minutes, Delia sat up, turning around, "Where's Ash?"

Red turned as well, "He said he wanted to wash up." At Delia's furrowed brow he added, "I sent Mimey after him to look after him

Delia's face softened, but she still stood, "I'm going to ch—"

"Mi-Mime!"

Delia and Red bolted from the couch, running to the bathroom. Only to pause at a second cry from Mimey coming, not down the hall, but to their right, towards the kitchen.

Delia spun around, only to pause just before she entered the kitchen.

Red stopped just before bowling her over, "Why'd you stop?"

"Do you hear that?" Delia asked, narrowing her eyes in concentration.

Red shook his head, "Wha—"

Delia ignored her husband's burgeoning question, eyes widening as she identified the sound. She strode forward, crossing the threshold.

There, in front of the sink—standing on a stool—was Ash, wearing a pair of gloves far too big, scrubbing a pot under running water, Mimey, just off to the side, staring at Ash clean. The Pokémon's ears twitched, and he looked over his shoulder. "M-Mime!" he exclaimed.

Ash turned at Mimey's call, frowning when he saw his parents. "Oh, hey Mom…Dad. What's up?"

Delia stepped forward, "Ash, sweetie, what are you doing?"

Ash shut off the sink, "Uh…the dishes?"

Delia nodded, "Yes, I can see that." She pursed her lips, "…Why?"

Ash shrugged, "They were just here, so I figured I'd do 'em."

"O-oh…well you didn't have to do that." She pursed her lips, "Why don't you come to the living room, we've got a movie all ready to go!"

Ash smiled, "Ok," and quickly took off his gloves, dashing for the living room.

"No running in the house," Delia reflexively called.

As Ash replied an apology, Delia and Red exchanged bewildered stares. "Has he been helping you with the dishes?" She asked.

Red shook his head, "No, and I can assume he hasn't done the same with you."

Delia nodded, then turned to Mimey as he called out to them. The pair turned, and Mimey gestured to the wet dishes. Delia smiled, shaking her head, "Leave those for later Mimey, we've got a movie to watch."

Mimey clapped his hands, bowing his head, "Mister Mime!" and strode for the living room.

Delia and Red soon followed, both pushing the current development to the back of their minds.

**Line Break**

Red's eye twitched as he re-read the Scott's proposal of various 'Battle Facilities' across the world. He didn't find anything immediately wrong with it; too be honest, the idea of having dedicated areas for trainers to test their mettle and better themselves sent his pulse racing. But it all seemed too…grand. For god's sake, the man wanted to have Legendary Pokémon—multiple of the same species! —stored away 'in case we find a worthy challenger'. Ridiculous.

_*Do-do-di-di-di Do-do-di-di-di Do-do-di-di-di-di-di-do_ _*_

Red flipped open his phone, grunting as he saw the caller. He put it up against his ear. "Hey Red," his best friend said.

"Blue. How's Gary?"

Blue clicked his tongue, "Same as Ash, hit with a sudden strain of Pokérus." Red grunted, "Although…" Blue trailed off.

Red tilted his head, "Although what?"

"Gary…he's been acting strange."

"How so?"

Blue sighed, "I mean, usually he'll act like his normal self—watch T.V., read his comics, play videogames—all that jazz. But, sometimes I catch him just…staring."

"At what?"

"Me, Leaf, all the photos on the wall and on the mantle. It's," he chuckled briefly, "It's almost like he's seeing it, us, for the first time."

"Yeah, Ash has been acting a little strange too."

"Mmh?"

Red furrowed his brow, "He's…cleaner."

"Um…you mean he's washing behind his ears?"

Red snorted at the lame joke, "He almost never used to pick up after himself—always leaving his clothes, toys, and dishes wherever." He leaned back in his chair, "Last night, after dinner we all went to the living room to watch a movie, and Ash said he wanted to wash up—thought he meant he wanted to wash his hands or something; turns out, he was doing the dishes. And then, this morning, Delia found him doing a load of laundry; correctly."

"Huh…you know, Gary's been acting more…mature too, I guess." Red hummed, prompting Blue to continue, "Ok, you know that article for Pokémon Monthly me and Leaf are writing?"

"The one about how Items can affect Pokémon Evolution, right?"

"Yeah that. Anyway, I'm heading over to Pop's lab—he's been holed up there for the past few days, wanted to check up on him, on top of getting him to edit it for us—when I realize that I left it on my desk. I head on back, and I find Leaf poking her head through the office's door. So, what else is there to do but sneak up behind her and find out what's going on. I leaned in close, and asked her, 'What you doing?'; naturally, she freaked, flinching back and—"

"Get to the point."

Blue huffed, "Fine, Mr. Impatient. Anyway, turns out Leaf found Gary reading our paper you know, before he caught sight of Leaf and I peeking in on him."

Red furrowed his brow, "And he…understood it?"

"I mean…he looked pretty into it, nodding at certain parts, narrowing his eyes an tracing bits along with his finger..." he trailed off, leaving a pause in the conversation.

"D—" Blue sighed, "Can Pokérus affect the brain?"

Red shrugged, letting out a sigh of his own, "Delia and I haven't found anything that would suggest it."

"Hmm," Blue grew silent once again.

Red inhaled slightly, "…Why don't you and Leaf bring Gary over tomorrow for dinner, get the kids together."

Gary hummed, "Tomorrow? That can work. Yeah, let's do that. Been awhile since I've had Delia's cooking."

Red grunted, "Tomorrow then."

"Sure. Smell ya later," and with that, Blue disconnected.

Red smiled softly. He then set his phone down, turning his attention back to Scott's email.

**Line Break**

"Now remember sweetie," Delia said as she watered some plants, "Gary's been sick like you, so try and cheer him up, ok?"

Ash nodded, "Sure mom," but inwardly, he was freaking out a bit. Sure, him and Gary were friends—thankfully, the 'Lake Ball' incident had yet to occur, if it would at all in this new, strange Universe—but Ash was still, mentally, way older than the nine-year-old Gary Oak. Still, if his friend (time-space shenanigans notwithstanding) was sick, he'd be darned if he didn't do his best to cheer him up.

There was a knock on the front door, and soon after, Mimey cried out, "Mister Mi-Mime!"

"Ah, there they are."

Ash followed his mom to the door, eyes widening a bit as he caught sight of Blue and Leaf Oak. Granted, he'd seen pictures of the two (to say nothing of the scant memories that surfaced after the fog lifted) but still, a bit of a shock.

However, he did not have much time to register that feeling, as the moment Leaf caught sight of him, she cried out, "Ash!" and strode forward, lifting him up in a hug. "How's my favorite nephew?"

Ash stilled at that—he and Gary were cousins?!—but more memories surfaced, and he eased into a smile, "You're not really my Aunt, you know?"

She pouted, setting him down, "You and Gary," she muttered under her breath.

"Don't know why you keep that up, Ma," a young, familiar voice drawled. Ash shifted his head, smiling at the sight of Gary standing under the doorframe, arms crossed and a sly smirk on his face, "Last thing I want is to be related to Ash, might catch his lameness."

Despite everything, Arceus's intervention, waking up with two extra family members as a nine-year-old (with a much greater mental capacity), Ash couldn't keep the frown off his face, and found himself treading a path both sets of memories were well-versed in. "Well, maybe if we were related, you'd have a better sense of humor."

Gary sniffed, tilting his head up and away from Ash.

Blue chuckled, "Okay, okay, save it. Give it another year and you two can settle your arguments the way nature intended, through a battle."

"Well, if you two," Gary pointed to both Blue and Red, who had just come in from the backyard, "would lend us some Pokémon, we wouldn't have to wait."

Blue smirked, ruffling his son's hair, "Woah there! Getting a little big for your britches! I don't think either of you could handle Pokémon of our caliber just yet.

Gary frowned at that, as did Ash, though the latter expected it was for very different reasons.

Gary huffed, "Whatever," and walked forward, poking Ash's shoulder, "You get that new copy of Pokkén Weekly?"

Ash recalled the shrink-wrapped magazine he got in the mail yesterday. When he nodded, Gary smirked, pushing past him, "Race you upstairs!"

Ash stumbled slightly, then grinned, dashing after, "Oh no you don't!"

"Boys! No running indoors," not one, but two matronly voices shouted.

Ash and Gary froze, slowly looking behind them.

"Yes, Mom."

"Sorry, Ma."

The two then slowly made their way to Ash's room. After entering, Gary quickly found the magazine. He turned towards Ash, a frown on his face as he fiddled with the wrapping, "You haven't opened it yet?"

Ash scratched his cheek, "Well…I've been a little busy."

Gary looked down, "Yeah…that's fair," tore open the wrapping, opening the magazine, and sat down on the floor, gesturing for Ash to read as well.

They'd barely made it a few pages, when Gary said, "Hey, what starter are you thinking of getting? After all, it's only a year away."

Ash's breath caught in his throat. He'd done his best to push thoughts of his beloved starter in the back of his mind—after all, Pikachu might not have even been hatched yet.

"I mean, you're always going on about getting a Charmander like your old man."

Ash stilled at the reminder of his father—he hadn't considered that at all. First time around, he only got Pikachu because he was late! Before, his mom had left the house to meet with the other parents of the kids who'd earned their starter from Professor Oak; hence the alarm he unwittingly broke.

"Personally, I don't think you're up to the task of a Charmander."

But now he had two parents, and there was no way both of them would leave him alone and potentially miss such a big day. But not getting Pikachu, that…the thought alone was unbearable.

"Nah, I think a Pikachu is more your speed."

Ash wallowed in despair for another minute, before jolting as Gary's last sentence sunk in.

He whirled around to face Gary, who had an indescribable look on his face, "After all, you're both small, frail, stubborn."

Ash gulped, "Gary…I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you're favorite Pokémon is Umbreon."

As the words left Ash's mouth, a weight lifted off Gary's shoulder. The boy slumped forward, dropping his hands on Ash's shoulders, "Thank god! I thought I was going mad!"

Ash gently pushed Gary back, looking him in the eyes, "Gary, what do you remember?"

Gary gulped, running his hands through his hair and looking up at the ceiling, "All I know is that I was in Kalos doing some research on Fossils in Glittering Cave, and next thing I know I wake up, in my house, nine-years-old, with a writing headache that tells me the two people hovering over me are my Ma and Pop!" Gary dropped his head back down, panting, a disbelieving smile worming its way onto his face, "Ash, I never knew my parents; all my life it's just been me and Gramps."

He took a moment to steady himself, "…What happened?"

Thus, Ash explained, as well as he could, how Cyrus destroyed the Universe, how Arceus meant for things to play out, and how things ended up as they were now.

After Ash finished his tale, Gary sighed rubbing the bridge of his nose, "Man…have to admit, for all his faults, Cyrus is impressively determined."

Ash giggled, "Arceus said almost the exact same thing."

"Well, great minds think alike I suppose."

Ash rolled his eyes, "Whatever," and the pair fell into a comfortable silence. Only for a cold realization—more chilling than not meeting Pikachu—to sweep over his being.

"The necklace!" he shouted.

Gary jumped backwards at the sudden exclamation, but he quickly caught on. "Wait, you mean the main reason Arceus sent you back in time?"

Ash nodded frantically, hurriedly tossing clothes and small toys over his shoulder.

"How the heck could you lose that?!" Gary said as he joined Ash in his search.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was busy being unconscious and reconciling the fact that my Dad's still around!"

Gary paused for a moment, "…That's fair."

The searched for ten minutes, trashing Ash's room in the process, but came up empty.

Gary pinched the bridge of his nose, "Okay…could your parents have found it?"

Ash shook his head, "No. Mom, at least, would have mentioned it."

"What about Mimey?" He frowned, "Wait, didn't your Mom get him after you—"

"Started my journey, yeah," Ash finished, "Apparently, in this timeline, he was a trade my Dad got, but Mimey took more to housework than battling, so Mom kept him around instead of sending him with Dad's other Pokémon."

"…That's a really weird change."

"Yeah…" Ash trailed off, before shaking his head and smacking his cheeks lightly, "Grr, focus! Where could it be?!"

Gary thought on the problem as well, but then snapped his fingers, "The lake! We were found at the lake, maybe it was left there."

Ash let out a breath, exiting his room, "It's a start."

The pair barreled down the stairs, rushing for the front door.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Ash and Gary froze, slowly turning to face Leaf. Gary smiled uneasily, "Just heading out Ma, Ash's room got boring."

Ash nodded along with Gary's answer, plastering a wide smile on his face.

Leaf pursed her lips, walking forward, "I don't think you two should leave. After all, you're both still shaking off the Pokérus."

Gary pouted, closing the gap and clasping two of her fingers in his hands, "Please Mama," he coyly— _coyly_ —mumbled as he stared up at her with wide, child-like eyes, "We'll be reeeeally careful!" he stressed.

Ash stared wide-eyed at the display, and almost fell over as Leaf cooed and clicked her tongue, "Alright, but get back before sunset."

Gary smiled widely, moving forward and hugging his mother, "Thanks," he said, and quickly went out the door, Ash trailing just behind.

After making some distance from the house, Ash asked, "Gary, what was that?"

Gary chuckled uneasily, "It's, uh, something I've been doing—had done—whatever; when I do that, she almost always caves in to what I want."

"…Well, it was weird."

"Eh, nothing I haven't seen you do."

Ash opened his mouth to retort, but slowly closed it as memories from both this life and his old one came to the forefront of his mind, detailing the exact thing Gary described.

**Line Break**

As Leaf watched Ash and Gary run off, a voice behind her said, "You really think that was the best idea?"

She scoffed, "Ah, they'll be fine. Besides, they shook off the worst of their bout of Pokérus better than you did."

Red hummed, narrowing his eyes as he watched the boys shrink into the distance. After a moment, he called out, "Mimey."

The barrier Pokémon quickly came into view. "Mime-Mime?"

Red jerked his head towards the two boys, "Keep an eye on them."

Mimey tilted his head, "Mis-Mime?" he said, pointing behind him.

Red waved his hand, "I'll help Delia, you just keep an eye on Ash and Gary."

"Mister Mime!" the Pokémon saluted, and marched off towards the boys.

**A/N: Before anyone starts talking about timeline issues, let me just say that the base timeline—the 'orb' which Arceus tacked stuff onto—is the Anime timeline, so the world still mostly revolves around Ash. Keep that in mind if you have questions about how the Game timeline fits into this. Otherwise, be sure to leave a review. Later.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Old Friends

**Pokémon, and all related media, is the property of Nintendo**

"Talking"

" _Thoughts"_

" **DEITY (OLYMPUS MON) SPEECH"**

**Line Break**

 

Gary doubled over, panting heavily as he tried to keep steady, “Oh…my…god…I hate—hate, I tell you!—how short my legs are!”

 

Ash, panting, though nowhere near as harshly as Gary, nodded, “Yeah, it stinks.”

 

Gary lifted his head slightly, glaring at Ash. Instead of saying anything, however, he trudged over to the edge of the lake. After taking a moment to gather his breath, he stood, “Okay,” he began, “where could it be?”

 

“Probably over there,” Ash said, pointing forward, slightly to the left. Gary shifted his gaze accordingly, frowning at the ugly, water-filed gash surrounded by broken reeds.

 

The two boys-turned-to-younger-boys walked around the edge of the lake, quickly reaching the unnatural addition.

 

Gary turned to Ash, “It’s a red stone attached to a black chain, right?”

 

Ash grunted an affirmative, already rolling up his sleeves and kneeling down. Gary took the same position opposite Ash, and soon the two were searching for Arceus’s necklace.

 

After ten minutes, Ash fell back onto his butt, “Argh! It’s not here!”

 

Gary scowled, shaking water off his hands, “Yeah. Dammit, what if it washed into the lake? It’s at least 15 feet deep, we’ll never find it on our own!”

 

Ash sighed, looking out at the lake. Then, he perked up, jumping to his feet and waving his arms, calling out, “Hey!”

 

Gary turned, catching sight of a school of about four poliwag’s. Soon, he too was jumping up, calling out to the water-types.

 

Thankfully, one of them noticed Ash and Gary before they swam too far away, and, suitably curious, came over, the other three following close behind.

 

As the lead poliwag waded just before the shore, Ash and Gary knelt down. “Hey there, Poliwag,” Ash said, “How are you doing?”

 

The tadpole Pokémon smiled, “Wag, wag!” it replied.

 

Gary cleared his throat, “Hey, we’re trying to find something that we lost a couple days ago, think you can help us?”

 

Poliwag lilted to the side, “Poli-oliwag?”

 

Ash and Gary—neither being experts on water-type behavior—took that as a helpful sign. Ash leaned closer, “We’re looking for a necklace; it’s got a thin black chain attached to a circular, red jewel.”

 

“...Pol?” it said blankly.

 

Ash hung his head, muttering something about wild Pokémon and Human accessories. Gary, meanwhile, had found a stick just to his right. Calling the poliwag’s attention, he drew a very rough shape of a necklace into the mud.

 

At this, Poliwag bobbed in the water excitedly, turning around to converse with its group. After about half-a-minute, one of the tadpoles dove underwater, and the rest returned their gazes to Ash and Gary.

 

Luckily, before things could grow awkward, the poliwag returned, with a poliwhirl coming up close behind.

 

The evolved Pokémon swam forward at the poliwags’s insistence, croaking when it saw the picture Gary drew.

 

“You’ve seen the necklace?” Gary asked.

 

“Poli, Poliwhirl,” Poliwhirl nodded. It then turned, pointing forward; following its line-of-sight revealed the main building of Professor Oak’s Laboratory.

 

Gary slammed his fist into his palm, “Of course!” he cried, “Gramps is the one who found us, who else could have the necklace?”

 

Ash nodded, standing up. Looking down, he smiled, waving at the Pokémon, “Thanks for all the help!”

 

The water-types all smiled, offering their own goodbyes before diving back into the lake.

 

Ash and Gary once more ran ahead.

 

**Line Break**

 

As they neared the Lab, Ash asked, “Hey, have you seen the Professor since your memories…merged?”

 

Gary shook his head, “Nah. Actually, no one’s seen Gramps for a few days. Said he’s been trying see how far the Pokérus has spread in Pallet Town.”

 

Ash grunted, slowing to a stop as they reached the front door. Quickly, he rang the doorbell, “Hello?” he called out, “Professor Oak, you in there?”

 

 Gary pounded his fist against the door, “Yo, Gramps! Can you open the door, me and Ash have a couple questions for you!”

 

But there was no reply. They each tried again, but still nothing.

 

Finally, Gary growled, walking along the left wall of the building.

 

Ash followed closely behind, “What are you doing?”

 

Gary stopped in front of a tall window. He ran his hands underneath it, grunting lightly as he pulled backwards on a hidden latch, “Gramps—in both timelines—has a plastic key tucked away here in case he loses his main set.”

 

Ash hummed in understanding, then blinked, “Wait, why plastic?”

 

Gary shrugged, twirling the key in his fingers, “Lots of Pokémon out there that have X-ray vision or can manipulate metal.”

 

Ash conceded that fact.

 

The pair made it back to the front door, easily opening the door. Immediately, both were set on edge. Ash cautiously stepped forward, “Gary, is it usually this quiet in the lab in the afternoon…and dark?”

 

Gary shook his head, stepping in line with Ash, “Never in all the times I’ve been here.”

 

“Same here.”

 

The carefully made their way forward, making note of the papers and bits of metal strewn about everywhere. Ash gulped, “Gary, Professor Oak is here, right?”

 

“Yeah. I mean, I haven’t personally seen him for a couple days, but I’ve heard Ma and Pop talk with him on the phone—briefly, at any rate.”

 

Just then, the two caught sight of a faint light, further in the building. Further investigation revealed it to be a sliver of light shining through a door.

 

Slowly, Ash opened to door, peeking his head through, “Professor Oak?”

 

The room itself was in even worse shape than the rest of the lab. Wires splayed out haphazardly from unfinished machines, balls of paper littered the floor, grease and oil stained the walls. And to top it all off, Professor Oak lay on an equally messy desk, drool pooling beneath his open, snoring mouth.

 

Ash fully opened the door, “Professor?” he called once more.

 

At once, Oak shot up, rubbing his eyes as he turned around. “Wha? Who’s there?” he said drowsily. Removing his hand, he blinked jolting back, “Ah, Ash, Gary! What are you doing here?”

 

Neither Ash nor Gary replied, too stunned by his appearance. Professor Samuel Oak, the pinnacle of his profession, looked like he just lost a fight with a garbodor. His clothes and labcoat were stained with what looked like grease, oil, and sweat. His eyes were bloodshot and baggy, and his hair looked flat and unclean.

 

Gary took a step back, “Gramps…what have you been doing here?”

 

Suddenly, the Professor clapped his hands, making both boys flinch “What can I say my boys?” there was a nervous tinge to his voice, “A professor’s work is never done!”

 

Ash and Gary exchanged glances, then Ash coughed into his hand. “Er, Professor, we’re looking for something I lost a couple of days ago.”

 

It was quick, but there was a quirk in the Professor’s lips that Ash almost missed, “Oh? What did you lose, Ash?”

 

“A necklace,” Gary said, miming the shape around his neck, “Black chain, red jewel. You seen it?”

 

Professor Oak noticeably flinched at that. “A-ah,” he stammered, “w-well I can’t say that I have.”

 

Ash and Gary slowly nodded, then turned around, leaning close to each other. “Do you think,” Ash frowned, smacking his lips, “Do you think he…you know?” he whispered.

 

Gary shrugged, “One way to find out.” He turned around, “In about a year’s time you’re going to give me squirtle and Ash a pikachu.”

 

Ash’s eye’s widened at the blunt statement, but he couldn’t deny that it worked, given the way the tension seemed to flow out of Oak’s spine, a grateful sigh escaping his lips. “So, you two are aware, then?”

 

The two nodded, and the professor let out a ragged sigh, falling back into a chair. “Oh, thank god. For a while I thought I was alone in this whole,” he gestured lazily, “mess.”

 

Gary smiled soflty, “Nah, Gramps,” he clasped his hands behind his head, “we’re here to suffer with you.”

 

 Oak reciprocated the smile. He then lost his smile, settling a blank stare on Ash, “I hate to say this, my boy, but I believe you may have something to do with this.”

 

Ash chuckled sheepishly, scratching his chin. He then relayed his tale to Oak, who hummed along at the right parts, asking for details whenever possible (not that Ash was able to give all that many, since his time with Arceus was very brief).

 

After Ash finished the tale, Oak leaned forward, steepling his fingers. “Well Ash, after I found you and Gary by the lake, I found the necklace in a small gash in the earth. It’s actually the reason why I’ve spent the last few days in here.”

 

He licked his lips, a haunted look in his eyes. “Ash, Gary…you’re both aware that your parents—your father, Ash—didn’t exist in the same capacity, correct?”

 

Slowly, the two nodded.

 

He took a long, shuddering breath. “Both of you are too young to remember when and why they left your lives; but it was a very trying time for everyone involved. When I recalled a separate life without my,” he gulped, “m-my son, I am not ashamed to say that I locked myself away to keep myself from falling down at his feet and weeping.”

 

“So, you’ve been here to keep from crying at the sight of…pops?”

 

“Well, yes, but there’s more to it than that.” He stood up, walking over to a file cabinet.

 

“Well, what about Aunt Daisy. No one’s ever mentioned her before.”

 

Oak flinched, “She…we lost contact,” he said, voice thick with emotion.

 

Gary decided not to press the issue.

 

Oak reached into the cabinet, pulling out a black, blocky locket attached to a black chain. “This…gem releases a very strange radiation. Nothing harmful,” he quickly added at Ash and Gary’s stricken faces, “But I believe it’s why the three of us are aware of the other timeline.”

 

He lightly tossed the necklace in his hands, “I’ve spent the last few days devising a device to prevent it from projecting that radiation; I believe I’ve succeeded.” That said, he tossed the item to Ash, who caught it easily.

 

Ash turned the locket over in his hand, “It’s a little warm.”

 

“Well, it is a machine.”

 

Gary crossed his arms, “Wait, what’s the other reason you wanted to stay here?”

 

Oak sighed, gazing sadly at Ash. “My boy, I know your mother has always been a positive woman, but your father’s…disappearance, was hard on her. But now,” he smiled, “Red is a constant fixture in both of your lives.”

 

A lightbulb flashed to life in Ash’s mind. With a trembling voice, he said, “You didn’t want to risk my mom remembering her life without dad.”

 

Oak spread his hands, “To say nothing of your father himself, or Blue and Leaf.” He shook his head, “I can’t control what you do with this gem, Ash. You can use its properties to remind someone capable of help—perhaps a region Champion or another person of equal influence. But I beg of you,” he swallowed thickly, “No matter what, do not show this item to either of your parents. Promise me!”

 

Ash nodded resolutely, putting the necklace around his neck “I promise, Professor.”

 

He smiled, another weight lifting from his shoulders, “That’s all I ask.”

 

Gary, after letting a moment of silence pass, said, “Okay, what’s our game plan?”

 

Oak hummed, “I suppose I’ll start by making some calls to Sinnoh—Rowan, especially. Find out more about how Cyrus got his start.”

 

“Gah!” Ash suddenly cried as a red light filled the room, “That’s bright!”

 

“Mime, mime-mister mime!” another voice cried.

 

The three humans whirled around, paling at the shimmering wall revealing a doubled over Mimey. Ash ran over to his mother’s Pokémon, “Mimey, Mimey, stay with us!”

 

Groaning lowly, the humanoid Pokémon pressed his hand against his forehead, screwing his eyes shut. Eventually, he opened them. He then shot up, forcing Ash back.

 

“Mime! Mi-mime mister mister mi-mime!”  

 

Ash held his hands out, “Mimey, Mimey! Calm down.” He furrowed his brows, “What are you even doing here?”

 

_“He was observing you at your father’s request.”_

 

At yet another now voice—this one seeming to be inside their heads and somewhat feminie—the three humans and one Pokémon whirled around to a truly shocking sight.

 

There, floating about four feet off the ground, were a Mew, and Celebi. The Mew looked much like the rest of its kind; pink with feline features and a long, prehensile tail, an ever-present smile on its face. The Celebi, though green and physically similar to the rest of its kind, looked somewhat…weary. A very sharp contrast to its pink companion.

 

Oak was the first to speak, well, stammer. “O-o-o-oh my.”

 

The Mew flew forward, stopping just in front of him, “ _Hello there_ ,” she said.

 

Oak gulped, still somewhat disbelieving of the fact that the ancestor of all Pokémon was not even a foot in front of him (a bit silly, considering the two sets of memories in his head, but still, it’s not every day you meet a Mew). “H-Hi.”

 

She hummed, “ _Oh yes…he’s exactly as you’ve described_.”

 

“W-who?”

 

“ _That would be me,_ ” the Celebi stated tiredly. She lifted her head, smiling softly, “ _Hello again, Sammy.”_

 

He blinked once, twice, before rearing back in surprise. “Celebi, you’re that Celebi?!”

 

She nodded slowly, flitting forward. She placed a hand on his fuzzy cheek, “ _It’s good to see you again_ ,” she frowned heavily, “ _I just wish it was under more pleasant circumstances._ ”

 

“Woah, hold on a second!” Gary cried out. “You mean Gramps’s story about time-travel in Johto was true?!”

 

“Hold on!” Ash cried out as well, “You’re Sammy?!”

 

“You were there?!”

 

Oak chuckled, “Took you long enough, Ash.”

 

Before the two could start up again, Celebi said, “ _Please, don’t yell._ ” She rubbed her temples, _“I don’t need the extra stress_.”

 

“Wait, what’s wrong? Are you sick?” Oak asked worriedly.

 

“ _Yes and no,_ ” Mew answered for her companion, _“Our Lord Arceus, in his infinite wisdom, decided to give her a greater hold on the timestream_.”

 

Celebi groaned, _“It’s horrible!_ ” she shouted, _“Such a haphazard hodgepodge of space-time just threatening to tear apart! It’s taking the effort of every Celebi across time to keep reality from destroying itself!_ ”

 

Gary frowned, “What about Palkia, Dialga, heck, even Giratina?”

 

The two Mythical Legendary Pokémon chuckled (though Celebi’s was slightly more desperate than Mew’s), “ _Given how Arceus formed this new universe, as far as they are aware, this is how things have always been._ ”

 

“ _Besides,_ ” Celebi grouched, “ _Those three are too busy pissing each other off to bother doing their actual jobs. To say nothing of the fact that it’s next to impossible to enter their domains.”_

 

“M-Mister?” Mimey meekly said.

 

Ash whirled around, face heating up, “Oh, Mimey,” he scratched the back of his head, “I almost forgot you were there.”

 

Mimey huffed, wagging a finger at Ash, “Mister mi-mime mis mime-ter-mime!” He then frowned, crossing his arms, “Mis-mime…”

 

Ash furrowed his brow, trying to decipher Mimey’s cries.

 

“ _He’s saying that you really need to be aware of your surroundings outside of a battle, or something related to Pokémon; it’s one of the main reasons your mother worries. Along with the father who he both does and does not remember existing_.”

 

Ash nodded, “Yeah, it’s still a little weird to think about that.” He frowned, “Hey, how come you aren’t passed out or locking yourself in a room?”

 

Mimey huffed, crossing his arms, “Mime-mis,” he said smugly.

 

Ash’s eye twitched, “He just said something about Pokémon being better than humans, didn’t he?”

 

_“Less mentally fragile,”_ Mew corrected with a laugh, _“And he isn’t wrong_.”

 

Ash grumbled beneath his breath, while Gary asked, “Wait, it’s obvious why Celebi remembers things, but why would you?”

 

In response, Celebi grabbed onto Mew’s tail. Mew’s eyes glowed briefly, and a blue glow surrounded Celebi; within seconds, she ‘stood’ straighter, eyes losing their tiredness. “ _Mew make excellent batteries,_ ” she said evenly. Before the pair burst into laughter at the four incredulous stares facing them.

 

As they laughed, Oak turned to Gary and Ash, “I guess this mean’s we’ve got three new allies in our grand quest.”

 

Ash and Gary smiled, though Ash’s was tinged with sadness. Oak immediately asked what was wrong.

 

Ash shrugged, “It’s just…I’m worried about Pikachu.” He shrugged miserably, “I’m afraid I’ll never see him again.”

 

Oak nodded as Gary rubbed Ash’s back. “Well, I’ll do what I can, Ash.” He shrugged, “I doubt your father’s presence will do much to change the fact that a wild pikachu will be chewing on power cables a couple days before you get your first Pokémon.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

Oak only sighed.

 

Mew and Celebi watched on in silence, contemplating the two young boys. Then, Mew leaned closer to Celebi, whispering something. As Celebi whispered back, Ash noticed what they were doing. Before he could say anything, however, Celebi’s eyes glowed green, and Mew dissapeared in a flash of pink light.

 

Gary (unfortunate enough to have been staring directly at Mew) exclaimed, rubbing his eyes, “Geez! Where’d she go in such a hurry?”

 

Celebi just smiled.

 

Less than a minute passed, and Mew returned in another flash of light, followed by two more bright flashes.

 

“Pi-pi-pichu!” a tiny, yellow mouse exclaimed.

 

Ash, Mimey, Oak, and Gary stared incredulously at the small Pichu standing just beneath Mew; alternating between staring up at the two Legendary Pokémon in awe, and nervously glaring at it new surroundings (and the three humans nearby).

 

Ash’s breath caught in his throat. He jerked his head up at Mew, who nodded, a wide smile on her face.

 

Slowly, Ash knelt down, “H-H-He,” he cleared his throat, “Hey there, little guy.”

 

Pichu, attention fully vested in Ash, fell on all fours, cheeks sparking wildly, yelping lightly when a stray bolt of electricity shocked his own tail.

 

Ash’s heart fell, until he recalled his new necklace. Quickly, he opened the locket, wincing as a harsh red glow filled the room.

 

Ash quickly closed the necklace, blinking away the harsh light. Suddenly, a light weight crashed into his chest.

 

Ash looked down, tearing up at sight the electric type gripping his shirt tightly. “Pi-pi-pi!” he cried. Just then, he was engulfed in a bright white glow. After the light dissipated, Pikachu lifted his head up, smiling at Ash with teary-eyes, “Pi-ka-chu!”

 

“Pikachu!” Ash cried, pulling up his partner in a grand hug, “I missed you so much!”

 

“Pi-pika-pi!” Pikachu nuzzled into Ash’s neck, “Pika-chu, chu-chu-pi!”

 

Oak sniffed, wiping away a tear. To his left, Gary sighed, “No matter how many times I see it, those two always make me feel happy by sheer proximity.”

 

Oak nodded, moving to place a hand on his grandson’s shoulder.

 

_CRACK_

 

The two of them turned at the sudden sound, perplexed at the sight of a Pokémon egg beneath Celebi.

 

_CRACK CRI-CRACK_

 

The egg began to shake heavily, cracks forming all along the edge. The shaking soon reached a fever pitch, and another bright white light surrounded the egg. There was one final _CRACK_ and a shape jumped out from the egg.

 

“Eev-Eeevee!” the freshly hatched Evolutionary Pokémon barked.

 

Gary’s hands fell to his side, “N-No way.”

 

Ears perking up at his voice, Eevee turned, breaking out into a bright smile.

 

Gary dashed forward, falling to his knees and scooping Eevee up into a hug; unlike Ash and Pikachu, neither said anything, happy enough to be together again.

 

And just like Pikachu, Eevee began to glow. A brief moment passed, and the brown-furred Eevee had evolved into a pink furred Espeon.

 

Oak and Mimey, previously silent at the displays of love and affection before them, dropped their jaws. Oak turned to Mew and Celebi, “Uh…that’s very different from before.”

 

Celebi frowned, _“Yes…I hadn’t considered the position of the sun_.”

 

“ _But does it really matter?”_ Mew gently stated.

 

As Oak looked back at his grandchild, still holding onto the now evolved Espeon as though his life depended on it, he decided that no, it didn’t.

 

A/N: So, I know that Eevee/Umbreon/Espeon wasn’t Gary’s starter, but I always felt that they shared a closer bond than him and Blastoise. Plus, you know, _Pokémon Yellow_ references. Be sure to leave a review. Later.


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